With every county in Montana officially under a drought alert, recent cold spring snows and rains carried some hope for relief but not enough to keep FWP fisheries managers from working to initiate water- and fishery-conservation efforts. "We can't make it rain but we can build on last year's successes by continuing to work together to reduce some of the problems we may face again this summer," said Larry Peterman, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Park's fisheries chief.
(Fishing - May 01, 2001)

Big game hunters who plan to submit applications for special permits to hunt moose, sheep and goat need to submit those to Fish, Wildlife & Parks in Helena by Tuesday, May 1.The deadline for applications for deer, elk and antelope is June 1. Big game regulations and applications for special permits are available at all FWP offices and license agents statewide, and on the Internet at fwp.state.mt.us.
(Headlines - April 27, 2001)

With the Yellowstone River's paddlefish seasons set to open in May, FWP officials are reminding anglers that low-river flows may keep many of the prehistoric fish from navigating upstream this spring. "The outlook for a decent paddlefish opener is a question mark right now with the low water we've had.Interested anglers should keep an eye on water levels or call our office in Miles City for an update," said Don Hyyppa, FWP Region 7 supervisor.
(Headlines - April 27, 2001)

The Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission is seeking comment on a proposal to establish no-wake zones near new boating developments on Hauser Reservoir.No-wake zones would be established at boating sites at Devil's Elbow and Clark's Bay, which was formerly a Lewis and Clark County Recreation site.The federal Bureau of Land Management recently developed the sites and requested no wake zones for public safety in these busy portions of the reservoir.
(Headlines - April 27, 2001)

For those who love mule deer, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks' new Mule Deer Adaptive Harvest Management (AHM) web pages will be an interesting, convenient way to tap into years of research and observation of this species, including Montana's innovative approach to managing mule deer populations.
(Headlines - April 27, 2001)

Montana's 57th Legislature addressed many issues of interest to hunters, anglers, parks visitors and landowners. Here is a brief summary of new legislation associated with the resources FWP manages. Cooperation Among FWP, Landowners, Hunters and Anglers HB 292 -- Creates a Fishing Access Enhancement Pilot Program that provides incentives to landowners who provide access.Intent is to improve public-fishing access through access agreements or easements rather than outright acquisition of land.
(Headlines - April 27, 2001)

Montana hunters can now turn to FWP online to plan big game hunting trips. FWP's"Interactive Hunt Planner" allows users to select a species to hunt and then quickly provides information from Montana's Big Game Hunting Regulations and easy-to-use data bases. The planner also displays hunting districts against Montana's new digital highway map.Additional options provide topographic maps and land-ownership maps that can also show big-game species distributions.
(Headlines - April 27, 2001)

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and the Citizens Off-Highway-Vehicle Advisory committee are seeking comments on grants requesting $181,668 for OHV projects. This year, more than $160,000 in revenue generated by the state gas tax and OHV registrations is available to fund work on established motorized trails, safety education, noxious-weed control and public awareness.
(Headlines - April 27, 2001)

Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park, southeast of Cardwell, will open May 1 for visitors and tours. Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park consists of nearly 2,800 acres and is administered by the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. In addition to the underground tour, the park provides a variety of above-ground experiences. Two-hour tours of the caverns are conducted seven days a week from May through September. Tour fees are $8 for adults and $5 for children 6 to 11 years old.
(Headlines - April 27, 2001)

Montana State Parks open for camping on May 1.Resident campers may purchase a State Park Passport for $20 for the first vehicle and $10 for the second vehicle. Non-resident campers may purchase a state park passport for $24 for the first vehicle and $12 for the second vehicle.The Passport permits entry of the vehicle and all the occupants into a park area. For visitors without a State Parks Passport, the daily entrance fee is $4 per car or $1 per person walking into the park.
(Headlines - April 27, 2001)

FWP's wildlife research personnel will conduct a telephone survey of lion hunting hound handlers in Montana beginning in late April to learn more about trends in mountain lion numbers.The survey of about 500 randomly selected hound handlers is one element of FWP's overall mountain lion research effort. Mountain lions in Montana are under close study in a FWP research project.
(Headlines - April 27, 2001)

Big game hunters who plan to submit applications for special permits to hunt moose, sheep and goat need to submit those to Fish, Wildlife & Parks in Helena by May 1.The deadline for applications for deer, elk and antelope is June 1. 2001 big game regulations and applications for special permits are available at all FWP offices and license agents statewide.
(Headlines - April 13, 2001)

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks issued a reminder today that a youngster may purchase or apply for a license if they will be 12 years old before or during the season they are applying for.In the past, an 11 year old had to turn 12 years of age before September 15 in order to be eligible for a license that fall.All other requirements remain in place, including a valid Hunter Education certificate. The new law, which applies to resident and nonresident youth, went into effect this past October.
(Headlines - April 13, 2001)

The TIP-MONT program's Board of Directors awarded $5,800 to 10 individuals who offered tips in 2000 that led to the apprehension of violators. Cases for which rewards were paid varied from out of season hunting of wildlife to exceeding limits and baiting, said Shelly Hiron, TIP-MONT coordinator for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks in Helena.The cases involved a variety of species with furbearers, fish and big game animals being killed unlawfully.
(Headlines - April 13, 2001)

Fish, Wildlife & Parks officials have pointed out a few errors in the recently printed 2001 Big Game Hunting Regulations that hunters should note.The errors are: On page 51 for hunting district 410-03 for elk there are unlimited permits for either sex elk.ARCHERY ONLY.Though hunters must apply for their first and only choice,it is also valid in Hunting District 417-03. On page 52 for hunting district 417-03 for elk there are unlimited permits for either sex elk.ARCHERY ONLY.
(Headlines - April 13, 2001)

A Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks video documentary that chronicles the agency's first 100 years of conservation through stories told by Montana cowboy poets recently received two top awards from the Outdoor Writers Association of America. In the OWAA-sponsored North American Film and Video Awards, FWP's "No Need for a Saturday Night" was selected as the top Conservation/Natural History film and also won the "Best of the Best" award for overall excellence.
(Headlines - April 13, 2001)

Mule deer may be commonly seen in Montana, but they are uncommonly interesting to learn about. Answers to these questions and more can be found in two placesMontana Fish, Wildlife & Parks' spiral bound Adaptive Harvest Management plan (AHM) and in the field with deer biologists and wildlife managers across the state.
(Headlines - April 13, 2001)

Resident and nonresident hunters who fail to draw one of Montana's coveted special big game licenses in 2001 can start to collect bonus points that will give them a leg up for the next season's special moose, bighorn sheep and mountain goat drawings. According to FWP's Dave Mott, Montana's new bonus-point system will be used to improve the odds of drawing hunting licenses or permits that are in high demand.
(Headlines - April 11, 2001)

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks issued a reminder today that a youngster may purchase or apply for a license if they will be 12 years old before or during the season they are applying for.In the past, an 11 year old had to turn 12 years of age before September 15 in order to be eligible for a license that fall.All other requirements remain in place, including a valid Hunter Education certificate. The new law, which applies to resident and nonresident youth, went into effect this past October.
(Headlines - April 04, 2001)

Montanans who enjoy fishing and wildlife-related recreation may receive a call this month asking them to be interviewed for the National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation, said Ron Aasheim, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Park Conservation Education division administrator.The survey is sponsored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at the request of state fish and wildlife agencies.Interviews will be primarily by telephone.
(Headlines - April 04, 2001)